Procurement Operations Specialist (18 Month Project)

SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 80,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. Role Description Procurement is a key strategic and transformational priority for SMBC. The Procurement Americas Division is building a centralized, strategic, and value-driven function that enables the timely delivery of high-quality goods and services across the organization. The Procurement Operations team supports the full Procure-to-Pay lifecycle, ensuring alignment with category strategies, approved buying channels, and established procedures. Reporting to the Director of Procurement Operations, the Procurement Operations Specialist plays a critical role in facilitating purchase transactions and supporting users through the Coupa platform. Role Objectives The Procurement Operations Specialist supports internal stakeholders and suppliers throughout key procurement activities in Coupa. Core Responsibilities • Review and validate new purchase requisitions. • Assist with purchase orders, including order changes and related inquiries from suppliers and internal stakeholders. • Support the resolution of requisitions, purchase order and invoice issues. • Support contract request processing through established Coupa workflows. • Maintain established catalogs and ensure information remains accurate and current. • Collaborate with internal teams to support and resolve stakeholder queries Transformation and Process Improvement • The role also contributes to technology transformation initiatives and continuous process improvement efforts designed to strengthen procurement operations and enhance the user experience. Primary Responsibilities • Purchase Request Management: Manage purchase requests and related activities in a timely manner and in accordance with established policies and procedures. Validate each request to confirm it is properly structured, includes all required information, aligns with the applicable contract, and has completed all required due diligence before payment processing. • Order Support: Assist internal stakeholders and suppliers with submitting new purchase requests, processing required order changes, and resolving delivery and invoice related issues. • Policy and Compliance Guidance: Advise suppliers and internal stakeholders on procurement policies and procedures to promote effective governance and compliance. • Contract Request Processing: Facilitate contract requests through established Coupa workflows, ensuring required information and documentation are complete and routed appropriately for review and approval. • Catalog Management: Maintain established procurement catalogs by reviewing and updating item, pricing, and supplier information to ensure accuracy, currency, and usability. • Continuous Improvement: Regularly evaluate current processes and identify innovative opportunities to improve efficiency and enhance the stakeholder experience across the Procure-to-Pay lifecycle. Qualifications and Skills Procure-to-Pay Knowledge: Demonstrated functional knowledge of procurement processes and technologies, including supplier onboarding, purchase requisitions, catalogs, and purchase orders. Requisition and Order Management: Experience creating, processing, and supporting purchase requisitions and purchase orders. Contract Literacy: Experience reviewing executed agreements, interpreting commercial terms, and translating those terms into accurate purchase requisitions. Contract Lifecycle Management: Experience supporting contracts through drafting, review, approval, and execution. Relationship Management: Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships while championing procurement processes and technology adoption Procurement Technology: Experience using Coupa or a comparable procurement platform. Experience Requirements: Work Experience: 2 to 5 years of specialized experience Education Requirements: High School Diploma or Equivalent Preferred: BA / BS (or equivalent experience) Language Skills: Business fluency in English Software Systems: Coupa, Service Now, Fieldglass SMBC’s employees participate in a Hybrid workforce model that provides employees with an opportunity to work from home, as well as, from an SMBC office. SMBC requires that employees live within a reasonable commuting distance of their office location. Prospective candidates will learn more about their specific hybrid work schedule during their interview process. Hybrid work may not be permitted for certain roles, including, for example, certain FINRA-registered roles for which in-office attendance for the entire workweek is required. SMBC provides reasonable accommodations during candidacy for applicants with disabilities consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. 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